Some of the biggest issues facing teachers and integrating technology into teaching and learning according to "Teachers Talk Tech 2006" are: access to computer, time and budget.
computer literacy (use of computers, basic computer operations, knowing about hardware, history of computers, etc.)
software applications
developing "expertise" with technology before fully integrating it with teaching and learning
Teachers should focus less on those things because given new and uncomfortable situations, they will either:
give up or reject the technology
accept the technology on the surface but only give it a small, insignificant role in instruction
Teachers should focus MORE on:
developing curriculum
evaluating learning materials
thinking about how to provide better learning opportunities for their students
From their research and extensive data collection on this school district over the period of 5 years, their results found some key patterns that shows that teachers in this district are emphasizing the importance of integrating technology into classroom instruction. They found:
that all teachers used technology
the teachers integrated technology quickly because they were spending less time addressing technical issues and spent a lot of time in professional development and training on technology
teachers expanded their use of technology and therefore the ways students technology increased
the use of technology is connected to the curriculum
Here are some of the factors that made this implementation of technology unique to the successful integration of technology:
district-owned network
centralized, server-based network
choice of hardware (putting enough multimedia personal computers in classrooms and use of less-expensive, thin client computer systems)
district provided technical support
teacher development program focused on classroom instruction
Personal Reflections:
I feel that in this particular district, this implementation of technology was successful because of the significant amount of support from the district so I remain somewhat skeptical about whether or not the investment of time, money, and teacher professional development is worth it from the teacher's standpoint. I do agree with the authors of this article that by removing the pressure to be technically proficient in computers that it will make room for technology to be more successfully integrating in education because technical issues are such a huge obstacle for teachers who are already pressed for instructional time. I also agree that teachers will then be able to move more quickly to integrate technology if they are not boggled down with technical problems. I feel that most teachers believe in the importance of technology and understand how it can be a powerful learning tool, but if technical problems are too difficult to face, then I can understand why teachers are not fully integrating technology into their teaching. I can see how it worked for this particular district, but I am not convinced it could work for the district that I work in right now unless we had the same support in terms of budget, time, and professional development. If classroom teachers do not have that support, then integrating technology will continue to be a challenge that might not seem worthwhile to tackle with the pressure of No Child Left Behind and standardized tests.
This article, "Teachers, Not Technicians: Rethinking Technical Expectations for Teachers" by: Judith H. Sandholtz and Brian Reilly examines one school district (Lemon Grove School District in San Diego) and how they have "advanced the use of computers in the classroom by focusing first on curriculum rather than on technology."
It discusses how teachers should focus LESS on:
Teachers should focus less on those things because given new and uncomfortable situations, they will either:
Teachers should focus MORE on:
From their research and extensive data collection on this school district over the period of 5 years, their results found some key patterns that shows that teachers in this district are emphasizing the importance of integrating technology into classroom instruction. They found:
Here are some of the factors that made this implementation of technology unique to the successful integration of technology:
Personal Reflections:
I feel that in this particular district, this implementation of technology was successful because of the significant amount of support from the district so I remain somewhat skeptical about whether or not the investment of time, money, and teacher professional development is worth it from the teacher's standpoint. I do agree with the authors of this article that by removing the pressure to be technically proficient in computers that it will make room for technology to be more successfully integrating in education because technical issues are such a huge obstacle for teachers who are already pressed for instructional time. I also agree that teachers will then be able to move more quickly to integrate technology if they are not boggled down with technical problems. I feel that most teachers believe in the importance of technology and understand how it can be a powerful learning tool, but if technical problems are too difficult to face, then I can understand why teachers are not fully integrating technology into their teaching. I can see how it worked for this particular district, but I am not convinced it could work for the district that I work in right now unless we had the same support in terms of budget, time, and professional development. If classroom teachers do not have that support, then integrating technology will continue to be a challenge that might not seem worthwhile to tackle with the pressure of No Child Left Behind and standardized tests.